GOOSE CREEK, SC (WCSC) - Requests for active shooter training sessions are at an all-time high, officials with the Berkeley County Sheriff’s Department said on Thursday after an active shooter drill.

“It’s being asked of us not just from schools but other businesses,” Berkeley Co. Sheriff’s Capt. Bobby Shuler said.

Shuler said they are getting asked to do more training than they have in the past.

On Thursday, the Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office partnered with the Berkeley County School District and the Berkeley County Emergency Preparedness Department to have a crisis training exercise at Sedgefield Middle School.

“We’ve done many of these over the years,” Shuler said. “These are just as important for the teachers and principals and the school district as it is for law enforcement.”

Shuler said the way law enforcement responds to active shooter situations is continuing to evolve.

“Unfortunately, we have these active shooters situations across this country and across this world and they’re always evolving,” said Shuler. “It used to be back in the day when Columbine happened they waited for SWAT. That doesn’t happen anymore they go straight in. The officers go straight in and go straight to the threat and take care of the threat.”

Shuler said they do active training with all the SRO’s two times a year. That training he said has also expanded to include tactical medial training.

“When you go in these situations a lot of times it’s mass casualty,” Shuler said. “Our primary job when we get here is not to take care of the injured initially it’s to take care of the treat but take cause of the injuries afterward.”

As part of Thursday’s training at Sedgefield Middle School, it simulated a police pursuit that ended when an armed suspect tried to get inside the school.

As part of the drill, the suspect was arrested but the drill continued inside to ensure all students were safe and protocols were followed.

“It really ramps up the threat if you will and you’re really testing everyone’s ability to handle that threat and to still do everything they need to do protect their kiddos when you have a scenario that is somewhat real,” Sedgefield Principal James Spencer said.

Spencer said lockdowns are something the school practices year-round.

“It’s important to drill,” Spencer said. “We dill every quarter on lockdowns to make sure if a real situation occurs we do that perfectly because that results in safety for our kids and that’s our number one goal.”